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Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (2003)

de Simon Winchester

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4,050	119	2,843	(3.8)	291
History. Science. Nonfiction. HTML: The bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman and The Map That Changed the World examines the enduring and world-changing effects of the catastrophic eruption off the coast of Java of the earth's most dangerous volcano �?? Krakatoa. The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa �?? the name has since become a byword for a cataclysmic disaster �?? was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round die planet for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all �?? in view of today's new political climate �?? the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims: one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. Simon Winchester's long experience in the world wandering as well as his knowledge of history and geology give us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event as he brings it telling b… (més)

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This is a very comprehensive look at Krakatoa and the region in general, with an overview of the history of Indonesia, economics, politics, the Dutch rule, religion, and many other things. You get a very broad briefing about the region both before, during and after the main eruption of Krakatoa, and also receive interesting insights into science and technology, both past and present, relating to volcanoes and geology.

Even though the book is full of information, it never gets boring. The author is very good at presenting the facts in a compelling and captivating way which entertains you as well as informs you. (

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macaroni.samsonite | Oct 1, 2023 |

Reading anything by Simon Winchester is like going into a restaurant that has a twenty-plus page menu. So much information and everything looks good. I personally find Winchester fun to read because he is not didactic, dry or stale. His personal anecdotes add flavor and spice to just about any topic he cares to write. In this case, "the day the world exploded," the day the volcano, Krakatoa, erupted. Winchester delves into the science behind the disaster; what caused the eruption and the deadly tsunami that followed. For example, on the "explosivity index" Krakatoa was a seven; measured by the amount of material that is ejected and the height to which it is spewed through the atmosphere. Rest assured, he will tell you everything beyond the science as well. Death counts, survivor recollections, political implications, even information you didn't know you needed like the origin story of time zones and anecdotal information about historical characters. He'll joke about the different ways to spell Krakatoa and emphasize the fact that the original island was blown to smithereens.
My only letdown was that I was disappointed with the inclusion of a black and white photograph of Frederic Edwin Church's painting of a sunset over ice on Chaumont Bay of Lake Ontario. The whole point of mentioning the painting was the colors most likely caused be Krakatoa. Not helpful as a black and white picture. (

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SeriousGrace | Aug 30, 2023 |

Reason read: TIOLI, shared read
I've not read anything by this author before. At least I don't think so. He writes as a journalist and in this book he uses the episode of the volcano of Krakatoa to look at the history of this time period including science, shipping, including how a volcano effects climate. And he proposes that the eruption helped to trigger anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims: one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. (

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Kristelh | Aug 16, 2023 |

Really detailed history of geology of volcanism and the events around the 1883 eruption. Sometimes too heavy as there's a lot of padding of related topics and not as much as you'd expect about the eruption itself, probably from a lack of abundant sources. Still, probably the definitive overview history. (

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tsunaminoai | Jul 24, 2023 |

Started off 2023 with a book that has been on my shelf for years and an author that I've never read, despite his popularity and many available books. And I really enjoyed it. As is evidenced by the title, this is a nonfiction work about the explosion of Krakatoa, a volcano between Sumatra and Java. This happened in 1883 and was one of the first major natural disasters that happened when global communication was possible through telegraphs. There were also enough scientific instruments in place to really get a handle on some of the repercussions of the eruption. Krakatoa's explosion was so violent that the entire volcano disappeared under the ocean. The explosion was heard 3000 miles away and the shock waves circled the entire globe 7 times! Almost 40,000 people died.

Winchester goes through what we know about plate tectonics and volcanoes in clear and informative words. He also gives good insight into the Dutch colonization of Java and how the eruption began to change the island and Dutch rule. I was also really interested in what happened to the immediate surroundings of a new volcano springing up near Krakatoa and how life returned to the islands.

The book is not highly technical and it's obviously intended for the curious layperson. It's very readable nonfiction and probably won't satisfy anyone with a lot of expertise in the topic, but for me it hit just the right note. Sort of like watching a history channel hour long documentary but reading it instead. (

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japaul22 | Jan 3, 2023 |

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Most controversially, Winchester attempts to credit Krakatoa with the rise of militant Islamism in Indonesia.

afegit per John_Vaughan | editaGuardian, UK, Chris Lavers (Jun 1, 2003)

▾Altres autors

» Afegeix-hi altres autors (2 possibles)

Nom de l'autor	Càrrec	Tipus d'autor	Obra?	Estat
Winchester, Simon	—	autor primari	totes les edicions	confirmat
Chinami, Toshihiko	Autor de la coberta	autor secundari	algunes edicions	confirmat
de Cumptich, Roberto de Vicq	Jacket designer	autor secundari	algunes edicions	confirmat
Jay, Coney	Autor de la coberta	autor secundari	algunes edicions	confirmat
Vannithone, Soun	Il·lustrador	autor secundari	algunes edicions	confirmat

▾Relacions entre sèries i obres

Contingut a

The Professor and the Madman; The Meaning of Everything; Krakatoa de Simon Winchester

Té l'adaptació

The Day the World Exploded: The Earthshaking Catastrophe at Krakatoa de Simon Winchester

▾Premis i honors

Premis

Audie Award (Finalista – Non-ficció – 2004)

Booklist Editor's Choice (Història – 2003)

Distincions

Amazon.com Best Books (2003)

New York Times bestseller (No ficció – 2003)

San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (2003)

Time Magazine's Best Books of the Year (Non-fiction (5) – 2003)

Llistes notables

ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (Història – 2004)

Around the world in 80 books (Indonesia)

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Data original de publicació

2003

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